Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris reopens five years after fire, ceremony

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, a timeless symbol ofGothic art and the spiritual heart of the French capital, officially reopened to the public on December 7, 2024, after more than five years of complex and meticulous restoration. The fire on April 15, 2019, which had destroyed much of the structure, was a trauma for France and the world. Since then, the cathedral has become the center of one of the most ambitious architectural recovery projects in recent history.

This reopening represents not only the return of a sacred place to the faithful and visitors, but also the crowning achievement of an international collective effort, a symbol of dedication to cultural heritage.

The solemn ceremony on December 7

The cathedral reopened with an official ceremony on December 7, 2024, organized with a detailed program. The ceremony was presided over by the Archbishop of Paris, Monsignor Laurent Ulrich, who conducted a solemn service including prayers, liturgical hymns, and the rekindling of the cathedral’s majestic organ.

The reopening service was held in the presence of the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, who addressed numerous heads of state and government, officials, patrons, invited jointly by the state and the diocese, representatives of all Paris parishes, members of the cathedral chapter, and Parisian clergy.

“I am here before you, before the liturgy begins, to express to you the gratitude of the French nation,” Macron said in his address. “Gratitude to all those who saved, helped and rebuilt Notre-Dame de Paris. Gratitude to everyone here as we prepare to restore her to Catholics, to Paris, to France and to the whole world. Yes, tonight the bells of Notre-Dame are ringing again and in a moment the organ will awaken. Music of hope, familiar to Parisians, to France and to the world. The bells of Notre-Dame, which have marked the hours of the day, and those of history, are ringing again. They ring, as they rang for the eleven kings who saw the cathedral rise.”

During the rite of the opening of the doors, the archbishop tapped the closed door of Notre Dame de Paris with his crosier, and the cathedral “answered” him with the singing of Psalm 121, three times. The silent cathedral then resounded once again with the song of praise, and for the third time the doors opened. After the initial rite of opening the doors, the ceremony took place in three parts. The first was the revival of the great organ: after beginning the service with the sign of the cross, the archbishop blessed the instrument. The second was the singing of the Office: the Office consists of a hymn, a psalm, the singing of the Magnificat, prayer intentions for the whole world, and the Lord’s Prayer. Finally, the Archbishop’s final blessing and the singing of the Te Deum.

The entire ceremony was accompanied by the choirs of the Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris. Olivier Latry, Vincent Dubois, Thierry Escaich and Thibault Fajoles were on the grand organ; Yves Castagnet accompanied from the Cathedral Choir with a replacement instrument (pending reconstruction of the choir organ). The clergy wore robes designed by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac.

The service was followed by a program produced by France TV and broadcast worldwide from the forecourt in front of the cathedral, the aim of which was to share the joy of the reopening with as many people as possible and to give thanks for making it possible.

Those in attendance included international leaders: some 40 heads of state present, including Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelen’skyi, U.S. first lady Jill Biden representing her husband Joe, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Prince William representing the British royal family, and then German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Brazilian President Lula, Polish President Andrzej Duda, Greek President Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, theEstonia’s Alar Karis, Lithuania’s Gitanas Nauséda, Croatia’s Zoran Milanovic, Bulgaria’s Roumen Radev, several African leaders such as Congo’s President Denis Sassou Nguesso, and those of Gabon’s Brice Oligui Nguema and Togo’s Faure Gnassingbe.

December 8: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

On the following day, coinciding with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Mass of Consecration will be celebrated. The liturgy of this Mass will be marked by several highlights. It will begin with thesprinkling with holy water: after greeting the assembly, Archbishop Ulrich blesses the water and sprinkles the entire assembly with it. The archbishop then sprinkles the altar and ambo, in a sign of purification that shows that these movable elements are not like other elements: they are intended for sacred use. The liturgy of the Word follows: the biblical readings proclaimed from the new ambo are the same throughout the Church; they were not chosen for this occasion. In all countries of the world, Catholics hear the same texts, specific to this day of the Second Sunday of Advent.

At the end of these proclamations, Laurent Ulrich, addresses those present by delivering his homily In order for Mass to be celebrated, the altar must first be prepared and consecrated with special rites . The rites of consecration of the altar take place in five stages: the deposition of the relics of the saints on the altar (today, it is the relics of five saints, three women and two men, whose history is linked to the Church of Paris, that are sealed in the altar: St. Marie Eugénie Milleret, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, St. Catherine Labouré, St. Charles de Foucauld, and Blessed Vladimir Ghika), the prayer of dedication and anointing with oil, which is the main rite, and then the offering of incense, the ornamentation and lighting of the altar. The entire mass is accompanied by the choirs of the Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris. Olivier Latry, Vincent Dubois, Thierry Escaich and Thibault Fajoles are on the grand organ; Yves Castagnet accompanies from the Cathedral Choir with a substitute instrument (pending reconstruction of the choir organ).

An extraordinary restoration

The 2019 fire had devastated some of Notre-Dame’s most famous structures, including the spire, the wooden roof known as "the forest," and part of the vaults. In addition, lead contamination had necessitated massive decontamination work involving more than 42,000 square meters of stone.

The restoration project, which cost more than 700 million euros (used vs. the 846 raised: the rest will be used for work on the exterior), with funds made available by more than 340,000 donors (including major donors such as the LVMH group, the Arnault family, the L’Oreal group, the Bettencourt-Meyers, the Pinault family, and the Total group, Axa, Sanofi, Bouygues, the Société Générale, as well as thousands of private individuals who contributed an average of more than 236 euros each covering a total of 350 million euros), involved the collaboration of thousands of skilled artisans from around the world (about 2.000 in all). The approach was characterized by a deep respect for traditional techniques, with the use of authentic materials such as wood from centuries-old oaks from French forests and medieval tools for the reconstruction of the spire. This one, originally designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, was faithfully reconstructed according to his design.

“Yes, these women and men, more than 2,000 in five years, were part of the chain of those who, starting in the 13th century, built the cathedral,” President Macron recalled in his speech. “Rebuilding the forest of Notre-Dame, this frame of 2,000 oaks, then the identical spire, and reviving the stones and paintings. They showed that we still have the will to carry out great projects and carry on the legend of the centuries. For five years here, every woman, every man was needed to rebuild, every help even from the ends of the earth was needed to send it forward, every gesture was needed, reconciling the grandeur of this cathedral and the needs of all these professions. We rediscovered what great nations can do: accomplish the impossible. So this cathedral is a happy metaphor for what a Nation is and what the world should be.”

In addition to restoring the historic structures, the restoration introduced modern elements, such as an advanced lighting system that enhances the stained glass windows and sculptures. Inside, the cathedral now appears brighter and more welcoming (there has been no shortage of criticism for this approach, as the gloominess that characterized the cathedral’s interior has been lost), with architectural details that seem to take visitors back in time.

From December 7 to 15, 2024, Notre-Dame will finally host an octavary, a series of daily celebrations devoted to different spiritual and cultural themes. Each day, solemn masses, concerts and moments of prayer will attract thousands of worshippers and visitors. “Our cathedral,” Macron concluded in his speech, “tells us how much meaning, transcendence, help us to live in this world. Convey and hope. This is the meaning of this work and of our presence this evening. We in turn join this procession of builders, revealing ourselves in the face of adversity. The bells will ring, the organ will awaken, the faithful will soon come to pray. The world will find the cathedral rebuilt and beautified. And we must treasure this lesson of fragility, humility and will, and never forget how much everyone matters, and how the greatness of this cathedral is inseparable from the work of everyone. Tonight, together, we can share joy and pride.”

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris reopens five years after fire, ceremony

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